Grammy-winning songwriter Brett James, best known for co-writing the 2005 hit song Jesus Take the Wheel, has died in a plane crash in North Carolina.
James, 57, was one of the three people aboard a single-engine Cirrus SR22T when it went down "under unknown circumstances in a wooded area".
All three passengers were killed in the crash which occurred near Macon County Airport, authorities said. Flight tracking data shows the plane took off from an airport in Nashville.
James earned a Grammy Award for Best Country Song for Jesus, Take the Wheel, recorded by Carrie Underwood. Reacting to the news, Underwood called his death "just unfathomable".
The song, which also received a nomination for Song of the Year, became a defining hit of both their careers.
